Gardening with Gary

Gardening Advice from an Expert

Jasmine

When one thinks of jasmine [Jasminum], sweet fragrance comes to mind, and nose! It is beautiful, hardy, easy to grow and withstands dry times.

Most species are frost hardy, but thrive in tropical locations. I recommend that you plant them in full sun in fertile, moist but well-drained soil. Prune as required after flowering, being sure to remove dead or weak stems to allow more light and food to the good, strong stems.

Fertilize them monthly with a general outdoor food [20-20-20, 30-10-10, etc.] as Peters, Rapid Grow, Hyponex or Miracle-Gro. Follow the label directions and water in well with each application.

You can propagate them easily in the summer, taking the freshest top 6" of a stem and rooting in a light, fine mix with perlite, vermiculite and sand.

While most are vines, some can be pruned into shrubs. The flowers are usually white or yellow, sometimes with a rosy pink outside coloration. They will not overwinter where there are deep frosts.

A popular species is Carolina Jasmine [Gelsemium sempervirens], a beautiful, fragrant plant, with glossy green leaves and small yellow trumpet or bell-like flowers, which appear for many months in the spring and again in the fall.

Care should include fertile, well-drained soil, full sun and shelter from drying winds. You may need to support the stems and all pruning should be done after flowering. Sow the seed in the spring and take cuttings in the summer, off vigorous stems.

They are equally fine as ground covers, growing up a fence, trellis, wall, pergola or verandah, or in containers on a patio or balcony.

http://encarta.msn.com/index/conciseindex/1B/01B82000.h...

Q. Will I be able to grow confederate jasmine in Virginia and if I can, can I grow them in large planters?

A. The jasmine should do fine in VA. especially if you are near the coast. Give them protective cover in the late fall to overwinter them if you get frosty. They love container growing, so go ahead and plant, with 1-2" gravel at the bottom and a well-drained soil to prevent overwatering and rot. Enrich the soil with compost or leaf mold. Give them full sun and prune after the blooming is over. Take stem cuttings at that time to produce new plants to fill in. They are quite lovely when thick and healthy.

Q. I want to grow a jasmine which does not climb. I have seen them grow prostrate and hope to locate one. Any help?

A. Fill me in on what you have. Here is what my books list about the various jasmines which are not strictly climbers, but tend to grow as a shrub:

fruticans, Mediterranean and Asia Minor, large, spreading evergreen to 10'

humile, Italian yellow, evergreen, bushy shrub, to 12'

mesnyi or primulinum, China, evergreen shrub to 6'

nudiflorum, China, deciduous shrub to 8'

parkeri, dwarf, SW India, mounded shrub to 12", 18" across. Small, scentless yellow flowers in the summer.

All others I have located are climbers.

Julles writes~
I saw Arabian Jasmine, which appeared to be a vine. I'm wondering how this might work on my trellis. The leaves are large and waxy, it has fragrant white flowers. I found conflicting reports, but it may be evergreen. But other information was sketchy on this variety. Can you find me more info?

A. It is an evergreen and quite lovely! I like the sounds of this one! Make sure you get the J. sambac.

The ZAMBAK, or ARABIAN JASMINE (J. sambac), is an evergreen white-flowered climber, 6 or 8 feet high, introduced into Britain in the latter part of the seventeenth century. Two varieties introduced somewhat later are respectively three-leaved and double-flowered, and these, as well as that with normal flowers, bloom throughout the greater part of the year.

Botanical.com

Arabian Jasmine
Scientific Name: Jasminum sambac (L.) Aiton
family: Oleaceae

Recommended Temperature Zone: sunset: 13, 21, 23-27
USDA: 9,-10

Frost Protection: Semi-hardy in warmer climes, needs some
    protection from frost on the coldest nights.
Heat Tolerance: Resistant to full sun and reflected heat
Sun Exposure: Full sun or partial shade.
Origin: Native to India, widely cultivated in South China.
Growth Habits: Evergreen shrub to 10 feet (3m).
Watering Needs: Regular watering for optimum growth.
Propagation: Leafy stem cuttings, layering.

Called "pikake" in Hawaii, this is the plant used to flavor the jasmine tea.

Varieties:
Grand Duke of Tuscany: Slow growing but with the largest flowers. 2" flowers look like miniature roses. In most cases, the flowers generally dry out on the plant.
Belle of India: 1" double flowers.
Maid of Orleans: single 5 petal flowers.

Cultural Practices:
They grow best in a well-drained, light soil enriched with leaf mold, peat moss or compost. From spring through fall, fertilize monthly with a balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10. Tie the stems to supports and keep the soil evenly moist through the growing season. Prune after flowering to keep the plants thinned and shaped.

Blooming Habits:
Blooms from June to September

Propagation:
In spring, root 3" semi-hardwood cuttings in sand, peat moss and sand, or vermiculite. Transfer cutting to 3-inch pots within 4 weeks, then to 6-inch when pot is becoming filled with roots. Jasmines do not like soggy conditions.
Seeds don't need stratifying, and can be planted immediately.

Good pictures at:

http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Oleaceae/Jasminum_sambac.html

A very popular warm-temperature jasmine is J. sambac (Arabian jasmine), and especially its two well-know cultivars, ‘Maid of Orleans' and ‘Grand Duke of Tuscany'. This species is one of the oldest cultivated, and its buds are prized by the Chinese for the fragrance they lend to tea as well as for their use in religious ceremonies.

‘Maid of Orleans' has semidouble, smaller, but intensely fragrant flowers, a long bloom time and a nice compact shrub-like growth that makes it a good candidate for windowsill culture.

‘Grand Duke of Tuscany' is also a bush-type with true double blossoms of very large and even more fragrant carnation-size flowers. Both cultivars can either be pruned right after blooming or their stiff, upwardly climbing branches can be woven through a low window trellis or even mini-blinds.

Whether trained around a wreath form, trailing down from a hanging pot or vining up an indoor trellis in a sun-filled window, the glossy leaves and exotic perfume of jasmine set the scene for a tropical winter landscape.

Chicago Botanic Garden

Lori writes~
I have Asian Jasmine completely around my pool area. How do I permanently remove it? Would like to replace it with river rock and a few palms trees? I live near Dallas, Texas.

A. Jasmine, as other ground covers, are very hard to remove quickly and completely due to their spreading habit and coarse roots running in all directions. Remove all the vegetation, use a long shovel, spade the earth as deep as you can and remove anything that resembles a root. Bag up and discard. Do not place on your compost pile. There are chemical drenches which you can purchase at a garden center, as Round-Up. Apply as directed then allow sprouts to appear and remove weekly and completely for about two months. Then cover with the rock and plant the trees a short time later, when the chemical is no longer potent. Sprouts will continue to appear, so you must be diligent.

Dede writes~
Last summer I bought a Lakeview Jasmine. It spent the summer on our deck and it bloomed and grew well when I first brought it indoors for the winter. It did loose several leaves which I expected because of the change of light and humidity, but it's leaves continue to turn yellowish and fall off. I have it in an east window, in a bright room that also has large southeast windows and a sky light. It occasionally blooms and the new growth is healthy for several weeks so I don't think light is the problem and it doesn't appear to have any insects. I let the top inch or two of soil in it's 10" pot, dry out between waterings and feed it with Miracle-Gro houseplant food. What am I doing wrong and how can I keep it alive until it can go back outdoors for the summer?

A. The plant probably needs repotting. A 10" pot is very large, so I hope that the plant is at least 2' tall and branches out over the diameter. If the plant has not been given fresh potting mix, not recycled used mix, then you need to allow to dry fairly well, loosen the plant with gentle taps, slide it out onto newspapers and carefully break old soil off the root ball without harming the roots. Shake it lightly to get more particles off. Then, place into a new clean sterilized pot, preferably clay not plastic for root aeration. If the 10' pot appears too large, pot down to a 8" at the same soil line, not lower and then water well. Keep out of bright light for 7-10 days until it begins to adjust. All other culture sounds very fine.

Anna writes~
I am a 3rd year college student of the university of the Philippines. I need you to help me find the necessary information about Jasminum sambac grand duke of Tuscany and Jasminum officinale (common /poet s jasmine). My topic is to know about: the floral biology and cytology of poet's jasmine/common jasmine and Arabian jasmine 'grand duke of Tuscany' (sampaguita variety) my defense is in 2 weeks and yet I am still having problems on how to get all the information. I really appreciate those who can help me. Thank you for your kind consideration! If you only know the information on one of the two plants, I'll still appreciate the help you can give.

A. Not a gardening question, so for your school work, check:

toptropicals.com/html/toptropicals/misc/fragrant.htm

toptropicals.com/html/toptropicals/ articles/windowsill/list_shade.htm

www.kordfarm.com/jasmines.htm

faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/ fragrant/2004062551022245.html

forums.gardenweb.com/forums/ load/fragrant/msg0618194314251.html

toptropicals.ru/html/toptropicals/catalog/alphabet.htm